Marathon Weekend 2023

[garneska]

This is the lesson I cannot seem to learn haha. I always feel like I have no appetite after endurance events (especially in heat) and then don’t eat and then feel a thousand times worse later. I just need to force it.

I am the same boat. I barely eat after and one of my biggest issues during the marathon is my nutrition. I still suck at it, but i switched up a little. I am trying a few things but i have also come to the conclusion that i need to get my fuel from liquid instead of trying to eat gels or stuff. I still bring it with in case i need it but switched to Tailwind for liquid nutrition.

The funny part is i have a 12 mile run tomorrow and no extra nutrition to try. Ugh. I do have Tailwind and a new belt since my old belt is very old and starting to bounce a lot. By very old I think i have been using the same one for 10 years so i am sure it lost its stretch.

 

[GollyGadget]

️Heads up to anyone planning to use on course nutrition ️
Wine & Dine was handing out sport beans this past weekend. I was anticipating honey stinger chews but luckily the honey stinger guy at the expo gave me a heads up. They're also really small pouches... Maybe that's always been the case but I would guess that they're only 10g of carbs.

 

[PrincessV]

This is the lesson I cannot seem to learn haha. I always feel like I have no appetite after endurance events (especially in heat) and then don’t eat and then feel a thousand times worse later. I just need to force it.

Yep, I have to force it, too. One half I forgot to eat my final gel, didn’t get anything thing in after finishing, and had a huge blood sugar crash sitting in the post-race area - it was awful for me and super scary for my dear friends. I MAKE it happen now!

 

[jrsharp21]

️Heads up to anyone planning to use on course nutrition ️
Wine & Dine was handing out sport beans this past weekend. I was anticipating honey stinger chews but luckily the honey stinger guy at the expo gave me a heads up. They're also really small pouches... Maybe that's always been the case but I would guess that they're only 10g of carbs.

If I remember correctly, wasn't it sports beans this year at MW22 also? I thought I remember grabbing a bag at two different stations.

 

[Herding_Cats]

If I remember correctly, wasn't it sports beans this year at MW22 also? I thought I remember grabbing a bag at two different stations.

It was definitely honey stinger for MW22. I think the flavors were something pomegranate and fruit smoothie?

 

[steph0808]

I'm one of those people who does the parks after the marathon - back to room, shower, and get on the bus/monorail out of there!

This year, I'm doing Dopey, and I don't know how I'll feel, but I am semi-considering taking clothes and wet wipes and shampoo and wiping myself down and washing my hair in a sink and going straight to Epcot after the marathon. I feel like that isn't ideal, but hey, I only have so much vacation time!

 

[lookingforsunshine]

ut I am semi-considering taking clothes and wet wipes

I highly recommend "Shower Pill" wipes. They sell them at Target (or online) and they are AMAZING. I think the brand is Hustle Clean.

 

[NYC_MW]

Related to latest SAFD:
Any recommendations for a cheap (relatively safe) airport hotel? Am currently on earliest flight from LGA to MCO on Wed (Jan4), staying at AsMu, and plan to spend the day at AK + pick up bib at some point (don't really care about merch). But am getting nervous and contemplating switching to the latest flight on Tue (Jan3) instead. Also looking at the usual hotel websites, but figured it wouldn't hurt to also pick the collective DIS brain.

 

[GollyGadget]

If I remember correctly, wasn't it sports beans this year at MW22 also? I thought I remember grabbing a bag at two different stations.

It has been sports beans in years past but it was definitely honey stinger last season.

 

[GollyGadget]

Related to latest SAFD:
Any recommendations for a cheap (relatively safe) airport hotel? Am currently on earliest flight from LGA to MCO on Wed (Jan4), staying at AsMu, and plan to spend the day at AK + pick up bib at some point (don't really care about merch). But am getting nervous and contemplating switching to the latest flight on Tue (Jan3) instead. Also looking at the usual hotel websites, but figured it wouldn't hurt to also pick the collective DIS brain.

Why not just extend your stay at ASMu? It's showing availability right now and for the price, I'm not sure you can do much better near the airport once you figure in transportation costs. Plus then you don't have to deal with the hassle of moving.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

I am semi-considering taking clothes and wet wipes and shampoo and wiping myself down and washing my hair in a sink and going straight to Epcot after the marathon. I feel like that isn't ideal, but hey, I only have so much vacation time!

Haha I'm kind of thinking about the same after the marathon for different reasons - I'm staying at my parents' house and it's a ~45 min drive from Disney so it seems like too much hassle to get there and back after the race!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Assuming I don't get covid right before the race again this year, haha, what suggestions do you have to help yourself bounce back as quickly as possible? What do you eat and drink? Do you take a shower or bath immediately?

My post race recovery is straight forward. Chocolate milk as soon as possible. Usually when I get back to the room though it's best within 30 minutes. I just don't want warm chocolate milk in a gear bag so I do what I can. Once back to the room, I have a Snickers to because it provides immediate protein to help recovery. I learned this trick from Jeff Galloway.

Then I soak my legs for 20 minutes in cold water. It's not an ice bath because I'm sufficiently sore that I do not want to try and hunt down the ice machine and all that. After the ice bath, I take a shower, change and head to the parks. I'm moving very slowly in the parks. At this point, it's more about the movement helping to keep my muscles loose and warm.

In 2019, I had a post race ADR at 3:00pm. It was perfect timing, though a tight window since I am a slow runner. In 2020, I had a lunch in the parks shortly after I got there and then dinner a few hours later in the castle. For this year, I had a 5:00pm ADR and was incredibly hungry. In hindsight, I should have forced myself to eat something at the food court after the marathon, even if just a child's meal. For next year, I also have a 5:00pm ADR so this time around I'm going to eat a light lunch just to get something in my system so I'm not weak to the point of desperation for real food at 5pm after the marathon.

My longest race recovery have both come in the races where I was not at Disneyland or Disney World. Forcing myself to go to the parks after the race(s) really helps me recover quicker. Maybe it's because I'm having fun or maybe it's because I'm moving, but it works.

Honestly this is incredible - I love it

I'm glad somebody got the reference.

 

[AJruns]

I’m normally a chew fueler, doesn’t matter what kind (bean, gummy, etc as opposed to gu). Since last year’s training cycle I’ve gotten braces and need to rethink that strategy, as I’m having issues with my teeth liking the brackets even on a softer diet. I definitely don’t want any issues mid marathon, or even vacation! I sucked on my salt chew last week instead of chewing it, which I think worked fine. Does anyone have advice on other products I could do that with? I really hate dealing with the sticky gus, and they don’t fit into my fueling system very well, but I should start practicing now if I think that’s my best option.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I really hate dealing with the sticky gus, and they don’t fit into my fueling system very well, but I should start practicing now if I think that’s my best option.

Try out a variety of other brands of gels. They have a range of textures and flavors. SIS tend to be watery, Maurten are like Jello, GU tend to be thick, Egels tend to be sort of like snot (for a lack of a better description), and on and on. If you've got a running store locally you may find a variety of brands to try.

 

[MissLiss279]

Related to latest SAFD:
Any recommendations for a cheap (relatively safe) airport hotel? Am currently on earliest flight from LGA to MCO on Wed (Jan4), staying at AsMu, and plan to spend the day at AK + pick up bib at some point (don't really care about merch). But am getting nervous and contemplating switching to the latest flight on Tue (Jan3) instead. Also looking at the usual hotel websites, but figured it wouldn't hurt to also pick the collective DIS brain.

I don’t know how safe it really is, but I stayed at the Courtyard just north of the airport the night before a cruise. I even ran outside there (running north and back along the large street), and I was fine.

 

[kps7795]

Try out a variety of other brands of gels. They have a range of textures and flavors. SIS tend to be watery, Maurten are like Jello, GU tend to be thick, Egels tend to be sort of like snot (for a lack of a better description), and on and on. If you've got a running store locally you may find a variety of brands to try.

Did you like the E-Gels? I even like the sweetness of the Honey Stinger Fruit Smoothie gels, but the E-Gels were too sweet for me. I wanted to like them because they have a greater amount of carbs and sodium, but I find it difficult to down a gel quickly.

 

[fatmanatee]

They were handing out SIS for NYC last weekend and I grabbed a couple just in case, didn’t end up using either. One thing about them though is that they’re heavier (2 oz) and less fun to carry in your pocket. Better if you have a belt to carry them in, if you’re carrying them in your pocket and you get annoyed by these things slapping your thigh as you run you might want to look elsewhere.

 

[flav]

This is the lesson I cannot seem to learn haha. I always feel like I have no appetite after endurance events (especially in heat) and then don’t eat and then feel a thousand times worse later. I just need to force it.

Liquid nutrition is easier for a starter, I find. Then, I keep trying to eat whatever temps me. Sometimes it feels right (I often prefer salty and crunchy) sometimes not (a bagel once made me turn green after one bite).

 

[DopeyBadger]

Did you like the E-Gels? I even like the sweetness of the Honey Stinger Fruit Smoothie gels, but the E-Gels were too sweet for me. I wanted to like them because they have a greater amount of carbs and sodium, but I find it difficult to down a gel quickly.

I've been using Egels since at least 2015 (and possibly earlier if I look into it). I prefer Raspberry, Watermelon, and Vanilla Strawberry personally. Sweet doesn't bother me. I use them because of the greater carbs per packet (the packets are bigger so on a per g basis they're the same as others) and because they have the highest electrolyte content per g consumed of the gels I evaluated some time ago.

My current go to rotation is:

minus 15 min - Maurten 320
45 min - Tailwind Concentrate
60 min - Maurten Caff gel
75 min - Egel
105 min - Tailwind Concentrate
120 min - Maurten Caff gel
135 min - Egel
165 min - Tailwind Concentrate

Tailwind concentrate = 1 scoop Tailwind in 1-1.5oz water (normal dilution is 1 scoop per 8-12 oz water)

It yields:

 

[fatmanatee]

I've been using Egels since at least 2015 (and possibly earlier if I look into it). I prefer Raspberry, Watermelon, and Vanilla Strawberry personally. Sweet doesn't bother me. I use them because of the greater carbs per packet (the packets are bigger so on a per g basis they're the same as others) and because they have the highest electrolyte content per g consumed of the gels I evaluated some time ago.

My current go to rotation is:

minus 15 min - Maurten 320
45 min - Tailwind Concentrate
60 min - Maurten Caff gel
75 min - Egel
105 min - Tailwind Concentrate
120 min - Maurten Caff gel
135 min - Egel
165 min - Tailwind Concentrate

Tailwind concentrate = 1 scoop Tailwind in 1-1.5oz water (normal dilution is 1 scoop per 8-12 oz water)

It yields:

View attachment 718079

Interesting, I might have to give some of these a try (I’ve had the maurten powder and it was decent). Do you skip the powerade at the hydration stops? That was one issue for me this past weekend, I had a rotation of salts and gummies I had been using for practice runs but of course at the races they have gatorade endurance at the stops so I ended up drinking that as well sometimes. I wasn’t sure if that might not be the best idea.